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MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING Filed June 13, 1942 17 SheetS-Sheeil y 19461 H. N. SMITH ETAL 2,403,766

MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING Filed Jun 13, 1942, 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/GS.

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July 9, 1946. j H; N. SMITH ETAL 2,403,766 MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF KNITTING Filed June 15, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 "F2 9 'WT BY m, ATTORNEY INVENTORS July 9, 1946.

H. N. SMITH ETAL MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF KNITTING F'iied June 15, 1942 17 Sheets-Shqet 5 July 9,1946. 1-1.. NQSMITH ETAL I MEANS.FR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING Filed June 15, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet 6 July 9, 1946. H. N. SMITH ETAL- I "BANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING 17 Shoots-Sheet 7 Filed June 13. 19 2 fie. 72.

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H. N.'SMITH ET'AL MEANS FOR THE TxobucTzou OF KNITTING ,Filed Ju ne 13, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 y 1946- H. N. SMITH ET AL 2,403,766

MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING Filed June 13, 1942 17 Sheets$heet 9 B) WZM y 1946- v N. SMITH ET AL 2,403,766

MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING Filed June 13, 1942 1''! Sheets-Sheet l0 lbw-sw ms En; ATTORNEY July 9, 1946. H. N. SMITH ET AL MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING Filed Jun e 13, I942 17 Sheets-Sheet ll July 9, 1946. H. N. SMITH ETAL MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING Filed June '13, .1942 17 Shets-Sheet 12 ATTORNE) #51! UEKT NIEL SMITH 8y ELIZABETH ET/ SHIT/l H. N. SMITH ETAL MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF KNITTING July 9, 1946.

Filed June 13/1942 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 \mm Rm y 1946- v H. N. SMITH ET AL 2,403,766

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Filed June 13, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 F/ G33-23o 25o July 9, 146

H. N. SMITH ET AL MEANS FOR .THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING 17 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed June 13, 1942 y 1946- H. N. SMITH ETAL 2,403,766

MEANS FOR THE rnonucwzon OF KNITTING Filed June 15, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 Patented July 9, 1946 V J MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF KNITTING Herbert Noel Smith and Elizabeth Ethel Smith,

' Daventry, England Application June 13, 1942, Serial No. 146,912 In Great Britain May 10, 1941 I 61 Claims. (01:66- 1) The present invention relates to improvements in knitting machines. t I

We have described in ourprior Patent application Serial No. 351,622, filed August 6, 1940, now Patent No. 2,353,197, a new method and form of machine in which the usual beard and latch needles are not employed, the new method of knitting being to engage the yarn and form the new loop through an already formed stitch whilst this is held open and guarded from th looping or stitch-forming means.

In accordance withthe present invention the machine comprises a looping or stitch-forming means constructed and arranged to engage the thread and form a new loop through a. previously formed stitch while this is .held open around a guard member, such means so'co-operating successively with a series ,of such members and the stitches thereabout. The machine ispreferably and then carrying the loop of the new stitch through the old stitch while the latter isabout its guard.

The guard members and a stitch former or formers may be relatively. displaceabl so that the or each stitch-former co-operates with succes sive members, e. g., the members may travel'towards the stitch-former or formers, or the stitch former or formers may travel from one member s to another.

The guard members are preferably channelled where the stitch is held as this greatly contributes to ensuring that the thread-engaging portion of the stitch-former and this. is preferably an open hook,'shall pass safely through the old stitch without catching the thread thereof and preferably the hook is directed towards the bottom of 1 but the channel or like forms are preferred by which the stitch is kept open without relying upon pull on the stitch in a predetermined direc tion. I I

g The new loop is preferably accepted by a differ:

ent member from the guard member carrying the stitch through which it was formed, although it may be accepted by such guard member. 7

We may provide a series of guard members and a series of accepting members moving progressively towards a stitch former, the guard members coming successively with a previously. formed a stitch into knitting relation with the stitch former and the accepting members successively moving forward to accept anew loop. Accordingjto other forms ,of the invention the stitch former or formers travel and co-operate successively with different guard and accepting members. 7 c

The guard and accepting members may each be constructed and arranged to serve atonetime in thecycle of operations as a guard and at another time as anaccepting member. This is ad- I vantageous, e. g., where as'will be hereinafter described, travelling stitch conveying members are used and there are two knitting stations, or where the flow of knitting is periodically reversed, or where the conveying members travel asasingle endless series. Inother forms of the invention, e. g., where there are two separateseries of travelling conveying members and one knitting station and one station where the stitches are ,transferred from one series back to the other, onev series of such members may serve only as guards and the other series'only as accepting members. u The machine is preferably adapted to' knit plain and 'purl'stitches selectively and it may be adapted'tdknit in reverse directions for fiat knitting or continuously in one direction fortubularor circular knitting and in some casesthe same machine may be arranged to knit flat or tubular fabric. Where the machine is required to knit flat only the conveying members may merely travel to and fro. When it is to knit tubular or circular fabric the continuous travel of the conveying members may be achieved by an endless system or systems of such members. For example there maybe one endless series and" the Stitch-forming member constructed and arranged to co-operate successively for knitting with two of such members'which are separated from eachother'by others of the series, e. g., the endless system may comprise twoparallel reaches and the stitch former arranged to knit across from one reach to the other. Alternatively there may be two. endless systems and each new stitch carried through a stitch on a member of one system and; accepted by a member of the other series.

- 3 The travel of the endless systems may be periodically reversed for flat knitting.

The stitch-forming member may be arranged to work between co-operating upright guard and accepting members, 6. g., by arranging the latter so that the channel of the guard member which is for the time being operative faces the channel in the member which is to accept the such movement of recession and entry of the guard and accepting members.

Preferably the machine will have two knittin stations, and the knitting stations may in some forms be movable to vary the number of conveying members effective for knitting. More than L two may be provided by appropriately varying the course of the conveying members, each dealing successively with stitches which are awaiting a new loop.

The'conveying members may be constructed and arranged to form internal gear teeth which engage for drive with toothed driving wheels and thrust one another along the course. Alternatively they may be carried by-an endless conveyor', e. g., achain conveyor, orby two such conveyors whereheessary.

' Thestitch'former may comprise a curved arm connected'to a medial axle or bearing about which such arm oscillates. This oscillatory motion is veryconvenient for first engaging the thread and then drawing the loop and it may also assist in landing the new loop and in subsequently-permitting the stitch-former to disengage itself from the loop,

' The stitch-former (looper)- axis may be displaceableespecially when the looper is required to cast off the 01d stitch and/or to deposit the new loop and this axis may be movable up and down once to enable the new loop to be formed and the old stitch to be cast offand again to enable the new stitch to be landed and released from the looper and. a further displacement of the looper axis across the machine may be proand similarly controlled interchangeable cams may be provided for this purpose. Four interchangeable cams, may be used so that the looper can draw the new loop selectively in either direction through the old stitch in either direction of flow; of knittin The direction in which the looper axis is taken across the machine may also be reversible in accordance with the direction, of

flow of the knitting by means. of; cams which are interchangeable. The movement of the conveyi-ng members, or of the looper when this travels,

may be under the control of interchangeable intermittent mechanisms.

The thread layer also may be under the Jacquard or other stitch-determining control so as to be capable of co-operating with the looper for knitting either plain or purl stitches in whichever direction the knitting is progressing.

In certain forms of the invention the uard member may be displaceable to elongate the new loop while the latter is held by the looper, the accepting member accepting the new loop while it is held elongated and particularly in this form it is advantageous to move the guard members progressively step-by-step inwards as they approach the knitting station and the accepting members outwards as they recede from the knitting station. The guard members preferably rock away from the stitch former in elongating the loop and slide transversely in receding out of the old stitch when the new loop has been accepted. The accepting member also preferably slides transversely inwards in order to pass through the new loop. The guard members may in this form each have a guard channel or slot which opens upwards and the looper arranged to oscillate about a fixed axis thereabove and the accepting members may be given a chisel shaped edge chamfered to a point which is arranged to move in close juxtaposition to the hook in penetrating the new loop supported by the hook.

These last features are hereinafter illustrated by way of example in a form of apparatus in which there are two endless systems of conveying members each system being in the form of spaced-chain conveyors having transverse guides for the guard and accepting members and in another form in which the looper travels in lieu of the guard and accepting members.

In order that the invention may be the more readily understood reference is hereinafter made to the accompanying drawing-s which illustrate various forms of construction.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one of such forms, Fig. 2 being an end elevation in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view from the same direction but with the end bracket C Fig. 2 removed and showing only the lower part of the machine. Fig. 4 is a sectional end elevation looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a detailed front elevation on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4 of the looper mechanism. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are end, front and back elevations of one of the conveying members and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detailed view showing the way these members are driven by the sprockets. Figs. 9a to 910 show various positions of the parts while the looper i forming a new loop and landing it on the accepting member and releasing the old loop from the guard member and Fig. 91 shows diagrammatically in plan the introduction of a second knitting station instead of causing the loops to travel round one end of the system as in Fig. 9b.

, Fig. 10 is a half front elevation of a modified formof the machine, Fig. 11 is a half plan view of this machine, Fig. 12 is a part longitudinal sectional view, Fig. 13 i a part end sectional view and Fig. 14 a part end sectional view showing certain parts of the looper mechanism. Fig. 15 is an end view of Fig. 14 showing one of the cams therein illustrated whilst Fig. 16 is a fragmentary end view looking at the looper. Figs. 17, 18 and 19 are face views of the other three cams shown in Fig. 14. Fig. 20 isanother fragmentary end view looking at thelooper. Fig. 21 is another fragmentary longitudinal vie-w of the cam shown the looper' carriage. J 11 mechanism, Fig. 23 is an end view of such mcchanism, partly in section and Fig. 24 a plan view thereof. Figs. 24a to 24 show how by this modified apparatus a loop may at any time be formed automatically in the reversed-irection through an old stitch, employing the other looper hook to the oneoperation in Figs; 9a, etc.

Figs." 25 34 show diagrammatically 'a further modified form of machine in which the conveying members are carried by two endless conveyors and the looper knits from the membersonone conveyor to those on theother; Fig. 2-5 being a longitudinal elevation thereof, Fig. 26am end sectional'elevationand Fig. 27 a further end sectionalelevation. Fig. 28- is a detail view show the loop formation and" Fig. 29 a plan of one knitting end; Fig. 30 is another plan of the means fOr displacing the guard members progressively inwards and the accepting members progressively outward to and from the knitting station. Fig. 31 is a plan view of a part of one of the chains of the conveyors and Fig. 32' i a front view thereof; Fig. 33 is a longitudinal elevation and Fig. 34 an end view of one of the guide members which bridge the two chains of a conveyor and serve to receive the conveying members;

Figs. 35 to show diagrammatically'a further form. of machine with two endless systems, Figs. 35' to 37 showing fragmentarily' the way the 6 the members of the opposite reach as such members are brought forward successively. r "The looper is fast with an oscillatable spindle II! which is arranged parallel to the two opposite reaches of the system of conveying members 7 and this spindle is movable up and down and to fro across the machine.

The looper may take the form of a part circular e. g., C-shaped, member the two ends ll, l2 of such member being hooked outwards,- the hook'for the time being in operation moving through the guard portion of the conveying memberand through the old 'stitchthereabout to engage the thread and moving back through the guard to draw the new loop through the old stitch and thence across the machine to carry this loop onto the accepting point of'a conveying member of the opposite reach. The old'stitch is cast off the guard member by the looper as it draws over the new loop and another guard member moves forward. 'Thataccepting member which has taken the previously formed new stitch is moved on and by the'time the new loop has been brought across the endless system the next acceptingmember has moved forward to accept the new loop. The looper then returns across the machine. The looper not only rocks about its axis for engaging the thread and carrying the new loop through the old stitch, but

loop'ei' co-operates with the conveying -memhers V for. the time being at the knitting station and Figs. 38 and 39 the way the conveying members are related for displacement by the sprockets, Fig. 40 being a detail-view of the channeled portion of one of the conveying members.

Fig; 41 is a diagrammatic end elevation showing a variant form of machine in which the 'looper travels in lieu of the guard and accepting members; Figs. 42 and 43 are detail views of the looper and thread-layer of this machine and Figs.

44 and 45 are detail views of a means for reversing Figs. 46 to 48 show how the operation of the machine shown in Fig. 41Qmay be modified so that the loops are accepted by the same guardmembers as carried the stitches through which they were formed."

In the form of machine illustrated in Figs. li 9,

the stitch guard members are constituted by stitch-conveying members I and are in the form of a series of uprights each having a channelled guard portion 2'and' being pointed at 3. They are arranged side-by-side as an endless eries and s are advanced intermittently along an endless A convenientmethod of moving the conveying members round the endle'sstrack is to provide, at each end of the endless system two co-axial sprocket wheels 5, 6 at different levels and locally to shape the conveying members atl, 8 (seeFigs.

6-9) so that the series of members passing round the opposite reach. In combin'ationwith such members we use a stitoh f-orming' means or looper '9 which passes directly through the channel of each member (and the stitch 'thereabout) as the members are brought successively'into knitting position and the new stitch is' accepted by one of it moves upwards for drawing the new loop and drawingofi the old stitch from the guard and across the machine and downwards for depositingthe new stitch on the accepting point. r

The 'looper spindle [0 has a'bevel wheel 13 which meshes with a bevel wheel M at right angles to it on a vertical-shaft or spindle l5 carrying a helical gear l8 driven by a helical gear if for oscillating spindle ID. The bearing I8 for thelooper spindle H) has upstanding rods 18a which are vertically slidable in a slide block I9 which is movable across the machine guided by fixed rod lfia and by a rod 2!! which moves with the'block and is slidable in the frame 2|. 1 The slide block W is normally urged 'in one direction' across the machine by ahelical spring Hand is moved in the reverse direction across the'machine against-thisspring by a lever 23' former being connected by rods 38' to the vertically guided cam bar 21 and the latter through rods 39 to the vertically guided cam bar 40 so that the bars are given a vertical reciprocatory motion by the eccentrics. Thebar 49 carries a pin 4| which rocks in a slot 42 in a lever 43 pivoted at to the machine frame and arranged at its free .end 45 to engage and rock a cam having two cam surfaces 46; 46a and 'mounted on a. shaft 41 carrying a large bevel wheel 48 engagin a'bevel'rwheel 49 on shaftiiil which mounts the helical gear H. The gear I! *is slid-able along a key-way 5| in shaft 59. The

spindle i5 is slidable with reference to helical wheel [3 by akey-way'connection am, the wheel I6 being axially fixed. On the shaft 41 carrying the large bevel wheel, there is a cam 52 which depresses a slide 53, which is guided by therods 54 in'a fixed part of theframe, against a spring 

